ba-con? November 1, 2007

So hands up, how many of you woke up craving a bacon sarnie this morning?

Must’ve been a subliminal message from the news last night as nothing else seemed to quite hit the spot with my second cup of tea…

Always interesting to see the different papers version of events on subjects like this. Full marks (as usual) has to go to The Sun for the “Save Our Bacon” headline whereas The Mirror didn’t even cover it… the others had a go but could barely muster a headline between them.

Funny The Mirror didn’t choose to cover it – although to be fair they were handed a golden opportunity with Heather MM wearing her “Boycott The Sun” top on TV yesterday but even then The Sun still beat them hands down with its headline “Help! She needs somebody” (vs.”Heather’s Hate Tape” in The Mirror).

So back to bacon… As well as the front page The Sun gave over pages 4 and 5 and managed to get Wozza (Anthony Worrell Thompson) on board within minutes to dismiss the whole nonsense as “just another scare” – shame the World Cancer Research Fund doesn’t agree and I’m pretty sure who would win on mastermind (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article413632.ece). Shame they didn’t ask Keeley for her opinion on page 3 I’d’ve paid more attention.

Personally I hate any attempt like this to scare people – one day red meat, red wine and crisps (remember that?) are good for you – next day you’re being told it’s better to weigh less than your recommended weight?? What the average man on the street must make of this I have no idea… seriously how are people meant to know what to do?

I guess that’s when you read the Daily Mail??? Haha… ”So What Is Safe To Eat” it screamed this morning, adding there is a growing backlash against the study from 21 international experts, with Britain’s top cancer specialist (Professor Karol Sikora) calling the advice “too trite and too dogmatic” warning no one will pay attention.

Again, what to do? To me this is where the BBC should be leading the debate as a public service broadcaster. Obviously they’ve got other things on their mind but to go to their news homepage (http://news.bbc.co.uk) and not see a single link is frankly weird and seriously lacking. Again who do you ask?

If I ring my mum, she’ll quote the Daily Mail to me, if I ring my brother he’ll quote The Sun to me, if I ask my girlfriend she’ll tell me I could do with losing a bit of weight anyway…

Which leaves The Daily Express (via Sky News), who, for me, said what I wanted to hear (because that’s what we all want really isn’t it?)… asking Barry Kay, general manager of The National Pig Association his thoughts, who simply said; “I am always wary of dubious science. The odd bacon sandwich will do you no harm” (http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13554551,00.html).